Defend between your man and the basket and cut off passing lanes
Varsity-Level · #3“Ball, you, basket”
Denies easy catches
The Wolves Way
Five rungs. Eight buckets. One test for every skill on the list.
Every skill on this ladder earns its place the same way: it helps us create space, create an advantage, or play the advantage before the defense recovers. Space. Advantage. Pace. If a skill doesn’t serve one of those three, it isn’t on here.
Coaches set where a player sits on this ladder. It climbs in order, Foundation through College-Level, and the fourth rung carries the Marion 30: nobody plays varsity without all thirty.
The Marion 30 Pillars. Nobody plays varsity without all thirty.
Defense
Defend between your man and the basket and cut off passing lanes
Varsity-Level · #3“Ball, you, basket”
Denies easy catches
Play defense with your feet not your arms
Varsity-Level · #4“Chest in front, hands quiet”
Few reach fouls
Play strong post defense
Varsity-Level · #5“Fight for position early”
Post catches pushed off the block
Show good help defense without losing your man
Varsity-Level · #6“See both”
Helps and recovers
Know who you are guarding at all times
Varsity-Level · #7“Find her first”
No lost matchups
Call out every screen
Varsity-Level · #9“Call it early”
Every screen called
Get around screens without switching
Varsity-Level · #10“Over the top, stay attached”
Screens fought through
Execute a full court press
Varsity-Level · #27“Speed them up”
Press forces rushed decisions